Carnation plant named ‘CFPC Adele’

ABSTRACT

A new variety of carnation plant named ‘CFPC Adele’, having a compact form of plant with well presented yellow and pink picotee flowers.

Latin name of the genus and species: Botanical classification: Dianthuscaryophyllus.

Variety denomination: The new carnation variety denomination is ‘CFPCAdele’.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of hybridcarnation botanically known as Dianthus caryophyllus, and referred to bythe cultivar name ‘CFPC Adele’. The new variety, identified as selectionno. 060102, was discovered as a naturally occurring whole plant mutationin a controlled cultivated planting of the variety ‘CFPC Annette’ (U.S.Plant Pat. No. 17,596), in Salinas, Calif. The new variety ‘CFPC Adele’has been asexually reproduced by vegetative side shoot cuttings inSalinas, Calif. and the distinguishing characteristics are retainedthrough successive generations of asexual reproduction.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

‘CFPC Adele’ is a potted spray-type carnation plant variety having acompact form of plant with well presented yellow flowers with pinkpicotee.

Comparison with Original Variety

Plants of the new carnation variety ‘CFPC Adele’ are similar to theoriginal variety ‘CFPC Annette’ in plant habit and growth rate. Undersimilar growing conditions in Salinas, Calif., under commercialpractice, plants of the new carnation variety ‘CFPC Adele’ differed fromplants of ‘CFPC Annette’ in the following characteristic:

-   -   1. The new variety ‘CFPC Adele’ produces yellow flowers with        pink picotee whereas the original variety ‘CFPC Annette’        produces light pink flowers.

Comparison with Other Similar Varieties

Plants of the new carnation variety ‘CFPC Adele’ are similar to plantsof the variety ‘CFPC Yellow Lacy’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 14,830) in planthabitat and growth rate. Under similar growing conditions, however, inSalinas, Calif., under commercial practice, plants of the new carnationvariety ‘CFPC Adele’ differed from plants of ‘CFPC Yellow Lacy’ in thefollowing characteristics:

-   -   1. The new variety ‘CFPC Adele’ produces yellow flowers with        pink picotee whereas ‘CFPC Yellow Lacy’ produces light yellow        flowers.    -   2. The new variety ‘CFPC Adele’ produces plants that are shorter        than plants of ‘CFPC Yellow Lacy’.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF ILLUSTRATION

A typical specimen of the plant and flowers for the new carnationvariety ‘CFPC Adele’ is shown in the accompanying photograph. The colorsshown are as true as possible within the usual limits of this kind ofillustration.

FIG. 1 is a whole plant view of the new variety ‘CFPC Adele’ grown in apot. The plant shown in the illustration is 120 days from date ofplanting.

DETAILED BOTANICAL DESCRIPTION

The following description of the new carnation variety ‘CFPC Adele’ isof plants 120 days from planting grown in a commercial greenhouse inSalinas, Calif. The cultivar has not been observed under all possibleenvironmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly withvariations in the environment such as temperature, length of day andlight intensity without any variance in genotype.

Plants of the new variety have been grown successfully under temperatureconditions averaging about 18° C. at night and about 24° C. to 28° C.during the day under light conditions of about 12 hours. Plants aredaylight neutral and flower throughout the year. Chemical growthregulators are not required for production. The new variety may beproduced as a potted spray-type carnation. To produce a commercialproduct the plants may be pinched once with the center bud removed.Pinched plants are about 6 inches tall and about 6 inches in diameter.Flower diameter averages about 2 inches with a crown of about 1 inch.Foliage is generally about 3½ inches long and about ⅜ inch at the widestpoint. The typical container size for commercial growth is 4½ inches.

It has been observed that the shelf life of the new variety is about 21days with a time to first bud opening of about 15-16 weeks. The planthardiness zone has not been determined. The commercial classification ofthe new variety is a potted spray-type.

The following description is with respect to a plant produced as apotted spray-type carnation. The plant and flower measurements andfoliage size are established as an average using standard commercialcultural practices. In the description of this new carnation variety,color values have been taken from The Royal Horticultural Society ColourChart (R.H.S.C.C.).

Plant

-   Height (inches): 7½.-   Form: Herbaceous.-   Growing habit: Semi upright.-   Branching characteristics: 4-5 laterals per stem.-   Breaking action: 6-8 breaks per plant with strong straight stems.-   First appearance of color in buds: 105 days after planting.-   Vigor: Excellent.-   Shelf life: 21 days.-   Blooming habit: Spray type.-   Blooming season: Year round.-   Lastingness of blooms: About 10 days.-   Disease (susceptibility/resistance observed): Excellent resistance    to soil-borne diseases such as Fusarium oxysporum and F.    graminearium, and root rots such as damping off, water molds and    similar types, as are typical of carnations.-   Pest susceptibility/resistance: Not evaluated or observed.-   Drought and temperature susceptibility/resistance: Not evaluated or    observed.-   Mutation prone: No.-   Propagation:    -   -   Type.—Side shoot cuttings.        -   Time to rooting.—18 days with soil temperatures of about            18° C. to 21° C.        -   Rooting habit.—Good fibrous system.-   Growth treatments or special conditions: Single pinch.

Foliage

-   Stem:    -   -   Length (inches).—6.        -   Diameter (inches).—⅜ (at base).        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Cross section.—Edged.        -   Color.—137 B internode. 145 C node.-   Number of leaves per lateral branch: 14.-   Arrangement of leaves: Bi-lateral along the stem.    -   -   Shape of leaf.—Long, narrow, lanceolate.        -   Size of leaf.—Width (inches): ⅜. Length (inches): 3½.        -   Leaf apex.—Acute.        -   Edge.—Smooth.        -   Base.—Smooth.        -   Aspect.—Elliptic.        -   Surface texture.—Top: Smooth. Bottom: Smooth.-   Leaf venation: Prominent mid-vein at underside.-   Leaf longitudinal axis: Recurved.-   Leaf cross section (upper side): Weakly concave.-   Leaf color:    -   -   Mature leaf, upper side.—137 B; under side: 137 C.        -   Young leaf, upper side.—137 D; under side: 138 B.-   Leaf waxy layer: Medium.

Flower

-   Flower appearance: Matte to shiny.-   Flower type: Double.-   Flower profile of upper part of corolla: Convex.-   Flower profile of lower part of corolla: Concave.-   Flower shape: Somewhat dome shape, rounded.-   Number of blossom per branch: 7-8.    -   -   Depth of fully expanded blossoms (inches).—1.        -   Diameter of fully expanded blossoms (inches).—2.-   Calyx:    -   -   Sepals number.—5.        -   Length (inches).—1⅛.        -   Width (inches).— 7/16.        -   Color.—Outer side base: 144 B. Outer side middle to tip:            144 A. Inner side: 138 C.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Appearance.—Matte with waxy bloom.        -   Shape.—Cylindrical.-   Flower petals:    -   -   Form/shape.—Fan shape.        -   Petal edge.—Edge type: Crenate-dentate. Width (inches):            1/16. Depth (inches): 1/16.        -   Texture.—Smooth.        -   Appearance.—Matte-shiny.        -   Petal surface of blade.—Undulating.        -   Number per flower.—24.        -   Outer petals.—Length (inches): 1¾.Width (inches): 1⅛.        -   Inner petals.—Length (inches): 1¼.Width (inches): ⅝.-   Fragrance: Absent.-   Flower bud (at onset of color): Length (inches): 1⅛. Diameter    (inches): ½. Form/shape: Cylindrical.-   Flower color:    -   -   1. General tonality.—Yellow.        -   2. Petals, upper surface.—12 D.        -   3. Petals, lower surface.—11 C.        -   4. Petals, edge.—65 A.        -   5. Petals, center.—11 C.        -   6. Early bud.—65 C.-   Color distribution: Picotee.-   Petal macule (random spots): Absent.-   Flower progression with age: Color slightly fades to lighter color.

Reproductive Organs

-   Gynoecium: Pistillate.    -   -   Pistil number.—1.        -   Pistil length (inches).—1¼.        -   Stigma color.—White or cream.        -   Stigma shape.—Filamentous.        -   Style color.—Whiter than 155 D.        -   Style length (inches).—1¼.        -   Style number.—Two and three.-   Ovary:    -   -   Shape.—Ovoid.        -   Surface.—Smooth.        -   Color.—Base: 145 C. Body: 145 C. Apex: 145 A.-   Androecium: None produced.-   Fruit and seeds: None produced.

1. A new and distinct variety of carnation plant, substantially asdescribed and illustrated herein.